


The Electrician and The Nurse

by ZeroToWeirdo



Series: Hartwin Meet-Cutes [6]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Good Father, It Gets Better, Kinda, Love at First Sight, M/M, because eggsy is a little self depreciating, but its ok, lee is good at dadding, meet cute, self worth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 23:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7952596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroToWeirdo/pseuds/ZeroToWeirdo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of them is an electrician, the other is a nurse, and they're just too damn adorable about feelings. Hopefully the 'fess up' and take a leap of faith.</p><p> </p><p>Essentially a series of meet-cutes where I randomized different careers to prove that Hartwin can happen anywhere, any time and under any circumstance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Electrician and The Nurse

If Eggsy could describe himself in one word, it would be mediocre, and he would do that without a modicum of shame or doubt.

His father worked construction and specialized in textiles, though he often expressed that the word ‘special’ meant ‘less shite than the rest of the blokes on company payroll’. His mother was a stay-at-home mother who had dropped out of high school when she was pregnant with him. She stopped being able to help him with homework by the time he was 15. Daisy’s birth was equally mediocre, though a little surprising, coming about the same year his mother stopped understanding his homework.

Born to mediocre parents, in a mediocre manner at a mediocre size and weight in a mediocre clinic in Manchester, he grew up wondering if he would ever be more than such. Don’t get him wrong, he loved his life and his parents dearly, but one could not help but wonder about ones lot.

By the time 5th grade puttered around, after a rather rousing speech by his principal on how hard work resulted in progress and growth, he had focused for the first time in his life on passing a math quiz. He had tried to change his lot. After studying night and day for close to a month, he had received the (thematically, mediocre) results, a large ‘B’ emblazoned across the front of his test paper. Eggsy had decided to embrace his destiny as the king of Nothing Spectacular. What was hard work when it came face to face with fate? There was no point in fretting.

After all, he wasn’t a fuck-up like some of the children in school. He didn’t smoke, didn’t get into drugs. He didn’t get As, but he didn’t fail either. He graduated at the middle of his class (dead center at 13 in a class of 25, he almost fell into a fit of giggles when he’d received the results).

As one would expect, his mediocrity continued into his college days. Having not qualified for scholarships, he had decided to enter a local service college to become an electrician. His father was proud of him, citing that they could build Eggsy a house between the two of them now, and Eggsy had just laughed along because he couldn’t imagine the day when they would not be renting.

He proceeded to get accredited by the City & Guilds, went for a couple of apprenticeships throughout small London electrical ‘Pvt. Ltd.’s  and finally landed a job in the Royal London Hospital as a Maintenance Electrician.

The job had come at a little bit of a surprise, considering how the pay was nothing to be sniffed at and he had entered in the same batch of newbies as an old school friend, Jamal. It seemed almost too good to be true, a little out of character for his life’s usual repertoire.

His mother threw a Scrubs themed party (he and Jamal were bullied into JD and Turk outfits despite the repeated reminders that they would be _electricians_ not doctors or nurses). His father spent the night toasting his health cheerfully and asking if he would save up to take electrical and mechanical engineering as he had once mentioned, in a fit of optimism. Eggsy assured old Unwin that it was a pipe dream he would not waste a pence on. He couldn’t quite understand the downtrodden look his father adopted for the rest of the party.

It was about a month into his job at the hospital when Jamal rushed into the locker room, nearly dropping his toolbox as he slammed the door open. “Eggsy, your father’s been admitted in the West Wing, there’s been an accident-”

He didn’t have to hear another damn word, already rushing through the doors and stairwells to get there, his coveralls hanging about his waist with his white undershirt showing. He’d been prepared to go home. They were supposed to have dinner together, the four of them. This wasn’t meant to happen.

Images of all the dangerous equipment that could be found in a construction site came to mind, from heavy machinery to steel pilings to power tools, and he wasn’t sure he could take it if anything happened to his proud father...the man that could still carry cement bags when his peers had failing knees and fragile backs; the man whose hands were steady even after one too many a pint, doing taxes and bills in neat handwriting at 3am when he came home from the pub; the ma whose sharp eyes noticed whenever his mother was tired or in a mood after taking care of Daisy; the man whose feet would fly across the living room floor in a foxtrot to cheer up his wife, sending Michelle’s laughter across the house like ten years had fallen off her shoulders.

He came bursting into the West Wing near panic, to have a nurse named Jenny grab his arm.

“Calm down, Eggsy, everything’s fine. Just a bad brush-in with a power drill. Nicked him good, but his goggles and helmet did their job. He’ll be free to go once your mother gets here.” She assured him and didn’t let go till his breathing had steadied.

He nodded in understanding, before she pointed down the hall. “He’s in room 118. Don’t be noisy, his head must be pounding, even with the good drugs.” She joked.

Walking into the room, he saw his father with a bandage across his cheek and up the side of his face, the pink stains on the white gauze indicating the close path the drill must have taken to his left eye.

“Eggsy, can we afford this?!” were the first words out of Lee’s mouth. Eggsy sighed in relief. “Dad, my employee benefits cover this. So does your company’s insurance.” He assured the man, which made him nod and relax into the bed he was seated in, a small smile appearing on his face.

“Not sure I’m gonna qualify for Miss Universe anymore, Eggsy.” Lee lamented cheekily. Eggsy groaned and took a seat next to him on the bed.

“Dad…”

“Will your mother still love me, you think? With a face like this?”

“Dad, please…”

“Right on my good side, too. Left side of my face always photographed best. Now all’s I got’s the droopy side.”

Eggsy couldn’t stop the laughter from permeating the room at that. “God, dad…I’m glad you’re okay. Could’ve taken your eye out. I thought something might’ve gone wrong with the crane or maybe you’d lost your footing.”

“Were you worried about little old me?” Lee chuckled, elbowing his son in the ribs.

“I was worried sick, you gaffer.”

“Well, as you can see, I’m fine. Little chipped in the varnish, but still working.”

Eggsy snorted at his phrasing. “Good thing, then. You’re still far off from your retirement. Can’t imagine you sitting round the house twiddling your thumbs because of a disability. Our bodies are all we have, us regulars.”

Silence engulfed the room as Lee stared at his son, before he nodded slowly. “I’ve done you wrong, boy.” He muttered, his eyes going soft as he grasped his son’s shoulder.

Eggsy was stunned to say the least. “What’re you talking about?” Lee shook his head gently, his grip flexing hesitantly on Eggsy’s shoulder.

“Normal, average, regular, basic, mediocre…always, always these words for yourself. Forgive me, Eggsy, if I ever gave you the impression that you aren’t special, or that you couldn’t do special things. Sometimes I wonder if there was a sign that I missed…where I couldn’t have stopped these thoughts from growing in your mind. I don’t know how many dreams you’ve given up without ever chasing, and I’m scared to know how many of those I could have prevented with just a word or two with you.”

Eggsy felt his throat tighten at the words.

“Dad, no…I never…”

“I want you to sign up for that engineering degree you were eyeing back when you were 17.”

“Dad, I have a job. A stable job. I don’t need-”

“But you want, and that means you need to try. Don’t live your life thinking you don’t deserve things, Eggsy. You deserve the world, starting with this.” Lee insisted, his eyes steely with determination.

A short cough interrupted them, and they turned to see a male nurse standing in the doorway. “Harry!” Lee greeted cheerfully, before wincing and pressing a hand to his face sheepishly. Without missing a beat, he threw his arm around Eggsy’s shoulder and giving him a quick squeeze. “This’s my boy Eggsy, the one I told you about when you was sewing my face to my face.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Eggsy. I’ve seen you around the hospital, never had the opportunity to introduce myself. I’m Harry Hart.” Harry smiled in a friendly manner. Eggsy swallowed and looked down quickly, biting back the self-depreciating doubts he had been prepared to spew about why someone like _that_ would greet a grunt like _him._ Perhaps his father was onto something…perhaps he’d only grown numb to those words on his worth. Perhaps they were still hurting him pointlessly.

After a beat, he stood up and held a hand out, smiling as he shook the nurse’s hand. “Eggsy Unwin, pleasure to meet you.” He noticed the quick once-over Harry gave him, which lit a small spark in his belly at the thought.

“Harry here says you’ve taken to helping with fixing machinery! My brilliant boy.” Lee expressed eagerly, snatching the paperwork from Harry’s hand other hand with a slight snicker in the direction of Harry, who seemed to be getting a little red around the ears. It took a second for Eggsy to realize that he was looking at their hands, which hadn’t let go of each other yet. Even with his embarrassment, Eggsy couldn’t help but lengthen the grip for another moment before letting go.

“Y-yeah…just trying to help.” Eggsy croaked out hesitantly.

“You did help, greatly. The other day, with the X-ray machine. We were close to suicide with that damn thing, and you just fiddle with the wires for five minutes…” Harry expressed, his words beginning to trip over themselves with their speed before he stopped himself and shot Lee a frustrated look.

“I’m afraid your father’s already heard this story, though…I’m afraid when stitching him up, I had to do most of the talking for him. I may have…gotten carried away.”

“And I’ll never let you forget it. It’s alright, I’m glad Eggsy’s got more fans than me and the old lady. Been looking for a nice young woman to cheer him on as well…or a nice man. Sadly, that vacancy remains open.”

“Dad!” Eggsy snapped, horrified at the blatant wingman-ing his father thought he was doing. He sounded more like an old codger trying to sell of his virgin daughter to a ‘becoming young bachelor’.

“What? I worry. Sometimes I wonder if you even bother looking anymore.”

“I swear, you’d barter my hand for a goat given the chance.” Eggsy grumbled as he rubbed his forehead. Hearing a chuckle, he looked up at Harry and smiled back at the man’s clearly amused face. “What, would you disagree? I swear he’s capable of that sort of medieval thought process, if just to fuck with me.”  

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. I just dispute the dowry. A goat? Really, Eggsy?” Harry tutted good naturedly. Eggsy noticed that his smile made his nose crinkle a little, right between the eyes, the process lifting his spectacles a little. Eggsy wanted that look every day.

“A chicken, then? Am I really worth so little? I’m an educated individual, Mr. Hart.” Eggsy teased.

“Certainly more than one goat. At least three. And a great deal of produce.” Harry announced prudently.

“I can cook. And I can bake, too.” Eggsy insisted, grinning at the man before him. How could someone look so adorable, standing his hands crossed behind his back, like a soldier at ease? It was ridiculous.

“The whole farm.” Harry amended seriously, as though he were pledging his life to Eggsy.

“Not sure many people own farms anymore.”

“I’d buy one if only to give it to you.”

“He accepts!” Lee interrupted, holding his completed paperwork up in victory.

Apparently both of them had forgotten his presence completely, blushing horribly as they realized that he had been standing there the whole time.

They were, luckily enough, saved by the bell. The bell being a little six year old Daisy running int0 the room and hugging her dad around the waist. “Don’t do that every again!” she demanded, her face buried in his stomach.

“Do what?” he asked, confused.

“Whatever you did to get hurt. Don’t do that. It’s bad.”

“Yes, naughty daddy.” Michelle teased as she entered the room, petting her child’s head as the little girl nodded in agreement with her mother’s chastisement. She smiled, but it was apparent to everyone the stress she must have been under driving there.

“A little scratched up, love. Can you still love me?” Lee asked with a dramatic pout.

Michelle sniffed and grabbed his chin, tilting his head from side to side. “Hmm…with a little time and a little alcohol, I think it’ll do.” She said before giving him a kiss. “I’m glad you’re safe.” She stated, a bit more honestly, relief injected into every word.

“Couldn’t be better! Harry here patched me up good.” He stated, waving a hand at the man and, by relation, to Eggsy standing beside him.

Now, Michelle was nothing if not a very observant woman. Looking at their embarrassed faces and body language, she turned a stern eye on Lee. “Are you tormenting our boy again? Let him flirt on his own, you windbag, Lord knows you were never any good at it.”

Lee was in the process of protesting, but she shook her head. “We’ll see you at dinner, Eggsy dear. I’ve got to look over your father’s paperwork, he always gets the numbers wrong. We’ll be at the pharmacy if you intend to go back with us. Say goodbye to your brother, Daisy darling.”

Daisy gave Eggsy a quick hug and Lee gave his son a quick thumbs-up before they were ushered out of the exam room by a very pleased looking Michelle.

Eggsy wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed with this, and from Harry’s shuffling feet, he was under the impression that perhaps Harry was just as unsure as him. His father’s words came back to mind, ‘ _you want, and that means you need to try. Don’t live your life thinking you don’t deserve things, Eggsy.’_

_‘You deserve the world, starting with this.’_

“I understand the going rate is a farm, but maybe…maybe dinner first.” Eggsy said hesitantly.

Eggsy wasn’t sure if that smile Harry gave him was the first step, or if it _was_ the world. He was more than willing to find out.

**Author's Note:**

> ITS BEEN SO LONG!!! Next one coming as soon as I can get it up, but work's been a BITCH. :C I hope it doesn't delay my next one from coming up.
> 
> Also, a lot more family stuff in here and angsty-wangsty Eggsy compared to others...didn't expect it to take that turn, but there you go. Lee gets his time to shine.


End file.
